Tinea belonota explained

Tinea belonota is a species of moth in the family Tineidae. It is endemic to New Zealand. It is classified as not threatened by the Department of Conservation.

Taxonomy

It was described by Edward Meyrick in 1888 using a specimen collected in Palmerston North in March.^{[1] [2]} This holotype specimen has not been found at the Natural History Museum, London. In 1926 Charles E. Clarke, thinking he was describing a new species, gave this moth the name Gymnobathra zephyrana.^[3] Alfred Philpott synonymised this name in 1931.^[4] The specimen Clarke used for this description was collected in Whangārei and is now held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. The placement of this species within the genus Tinea is in doubt. As a result, this species is also known as Tinea (s.l.) belonota.

Description

Meyrick described this species as follows:

This species is visually similar to Trithamnora certella and Tinea mochlota but can be distinguished as T. belonota has broader wings, lacks discal spots, has a more obvious pale streak, and different cilia.

Distribution

This species is endemic to New Zealand.^{[5] [6]} It has been collected in Palmerston North, Whangarei and at Okauia in the Waikato.

Conservation status

This species has been classified as being "not threatened" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.^[7]

Notes and References

1. Meyrick. Edward. Edward Meyrick. 1888. Descriptions of New Zealand Tineina. Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 20. 77–106.
2. Dugdale. J. S.. Lepidoptera - annotated catalogue, and keys to family-group taxa. Fauna of New Zealand. 1988. 14. 65. 16 February 2018.
3. Clarke. Charles E.. 1926. New species of Lepidoptera.. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 56. 417–421.
4. Philpott. Alfred. Alfred Philpott. 1931. Notes and descriptions of New Zealand Lepidoptera. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. 62. 26–36.
5. Web site: Tinea belonota Meyrick, 1888. www.nzor.org.nz. Landcare Research New Zealand. 16 February 2018.
6. Book: New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume Two. Kingdom Animalia: Chaetognatha, Ecdysozoa, Ichnofossils. Canterbury University Press. 2010. 9781877257933. Gordon. Dennis P.. Christchurch, N.Z.. 464. 973607714.
7. Hoare. R.J.B.. Dugdale. J.S.. Edwards. E.D.. Gibbs. G.W. . Patrick . B.H. . Hitchmough . R.A. . Rolfe . J.R. . 2017. Conservation status of New Zealand butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera), 2015. New Zealand Threat Classification Series. 20. 9.